Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, expressed disapproval of the appointment of Comrade Asu Okang as the State’s Commissioner on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board.
The Speaker made these remarks while speaking to members of the Cross River State All Progressives Congress (APC) support group, who had organized a protest at the House of Assembly in response to Okang’s recent nomination. Okang previously served as the State’s commissioner of information.
The Speaker praised the protesting APC members for their peaceful conduct during the protest and assured them that the legislative body would back the State APC’s demand for the cancellation of the nomination.
“We appreciate that the protesting APC members have conducted themselves peacefully during this demonstration. We are not pleased with the decision and find it quite objectionable. The Cross River State APC has been treated poorly, and we cannot endorse this injustice inflicted upon our Governor.”
“The appointment, released while the SGF (Secretary to the Government of the Federation) was in Germany, resides in the office of the SGF.”
The Speaker expressed disappointment, stating that the state had experienced a similar treatment during their time with the PDP, which prompted them to join the APC. Cross River has alternatives and if the Governor chooses to leave the APC, everyone will leave with him. Governor Otu is widely adored by the people of Cross River and can win elections in any political party.
“Yes, Asu Okang is from Cross River, but if he desires a position, he should switch his allegiance to another party, and there are proper protocols for doing so,” Ayambem stated.
Earlier, the former Chairman of Calabar municipal, Hon Nta Eke, argued against the appointment of a PDP member as the NDDC representative, claiming it is unacceptable. He implored the Speaker to direct their concerns to the “appropriate authorities,” emphasizing that those who contributed significantly to the party’s success should be rewarded, rather than someone who openly opposed them.”
Dr. Edem Ubong, the chairman of the APC Support Group, expressed his sadness and deemed the nomination of Okang as “abnormal” due to his strong affiliation with the PDP. He strongly believed that Okang should not be allowed to take what rightfully belongs to the APC.
The protesters demanded that Okang’s nomination be revoked and mentioned that they had locked the NDDC office in Calabar as a demonstration of their discontent. They believed that the nomination was unfavorable for the APC in the state.
Some placards held by the protesters had messages such as “Asu is rejected by the APC”, “We do not want Asu”, and “The monkey does the work, but the baboon gets the reward” among others.
